On Opening Day, Aaron Judge wasted no time reminding fans why he’s one of the league’s most dangerous hitters. In the first inning, facing Logan Webb, Judge saw just one pitch before launching the second one into the seats for a home run. Webb tried to go inside with a sinker, but he missed over the middle, and Judge took full advantage. It was a bad miss for a ground-ball pitcher who usually lives on the edges. After that, Webb adjusted and started working the outside corner with movement, which umpire Laz Diaz had been giving him all game. He settled in and only made one more mistake when he left another pitch over the heart of the plate for Gleyber Torres, who also took it deep.
Outside of the action on the field, a balloon somehow floated onto the grass midgame. Diaz tried to take it out with both hands like he was fielding a grounder, but completely botched it. It bounced off him, then rolled away while he fumbled an attempted follow-up slap. The balloon had “Hit me” written on one side, “Go Yankees” on the other. Diaz didn’t want to play along. When he finally got rid of it, he accidentally smacked his fists together in frustration. Not the strongest moment for the veteran ump, but it didn’t overshadow Judge’s electric start.